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Anita Ratnam

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Dr. Anita R Ratnam
Ratnam, 2012 in Cologne
Born
Anita Raajyalaxmi Ratnam

(1954-05-21) 21 May 1954 (age 72)
Ambala, Haryana, India
EducationKalakshetra (1974-1976), University of New Orleans (1977-1979)
Alma materUniversity of Madras
Occupations
  • Dancer
  • Choreographer
  • Actress
  • Cultural Entrepreneur
Known forNeo Bharatam

Founder Narthaki.com,

Founder Arangham Trust
FamilyTVS Group
AwardsSangeet Natak Akademi (2016), Kalaimamani (1998), Nritya Choodamani (1996)
Websitewww.anitaratnam.com

Dr. Anita R Ratnam (born 21 May 1954) is an Indian classical and contemporary dancer, choreographer and arts curator whose work draws on both classical and contemporary performance traditions. Trained in Bharatanatyam, she has also received formal training in Kathakali, Mohiniattam, tai chi and Kalarippayattu. She is known for developing "Neo Bharatam", a contemporary movement vocabulary that combines elements of Indian Classical Dance and other movement traditions.[1][2][3]

Early life and education

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Anita Ratnam was born into the TVS Motor Company family[4], which has a longstanding associations with South Indian cultural institutions[5]. Her paternal great grandfather, T. V. Sundram Iyengar, is noted for having supported an early performance by M. S. Subbulakshmi, while her grandfather, T.S. Rajam, served as president of the Madras Music Academy[6]. In interviews, she has described growing up in a traditional household[7]. She stated that her mother, Leela Ratnam, who had wished to learn dance herself but did not have the opportunity to do so, encouraged her daughter to pursue the training[8].

Ratnam began learning dance at the age of three and received her initial training from Rajee Narayan[9], a family friend and dance teacher.[10][11]. She gave her Arangetram (dance) at the age nine[10]. According to Ratnam, her paternal grandfather, T.S. Rajam disapproved of her performing in public, however, with the support of her mother and guru, she continued to pursue dance[12][13].

She later continued her formal training under Bharatanatyam guru, Adyar K. Lakshman,[14] and subsequently studied at Rukmini Devi Arundale's 'Kalakshetra' where she earned a Postgraduate diploma in dance. At Kalakshetra, she pursued training in Bharatanatyam as well as theoretical aspects of dance and Sanskrit[15]. Ratnam described being drawn to the institution's structured approach to dance education and has credited the teacher Neila Sathyalingam with recognizing and encouraging her interest in exploring movement beyond conventional Bharatanatyam training[16].

In addition to Bharatanatyam, Ratnam studied Kathakali under Balasubramanian of Kerala Kalamandalam and Mohiniattam from Thottassery Chinnammu Amma, the classical dances of Kerala.[17][18] She has stated that her training in these forms influenced her artistic development, particularly in movement and Abhinaya[19].

Alongside her dance training, Ratnam was active in sports, including tennis, hiking, and swimming. She has recalled that her dance teacher[20], Adyar K. Lakshman, encouraged her to focus primarily on Bharatanatyam rather than other physical activities[21]. Ratnam has also described having a broad interest in the arts, participating in school and college cultural activities, performing in theater productions, and developing an early interest in drama and the performing arts[22].

In 1971, at the age of sixteen, Ratnam gave a performance at the Madras Music Academy in Chennai[23]. The audience included Balasaraswati[24] and M. S. Subbulakshmi[25][26].

In her late teens and early twenties, Ratnam began seeking greater artistic and personal independence[27]. In 1975, she was offered admission to the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance in New York City[28]. Instead, she chose to pursue graduate studies at the University of New Orleans, where she earned a master's degree in Theater and Television[29]. During her time in New Orleans, she explored a range of artistic disciplines and studied drama, an experience she has cited as influential in her development as a performer[30].

Career

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Ratnam subsequently worked as a television producer and commentator in the United States, during which she produced weekly a Saturday morning programme featuring indian news, travel and cultural content.[10]

Following her return to India in 1990, Ratnam established Arangham Trust in Chennai in 1992, followed by Arangham Dance Theatre, a performance company, in 1993.[31][32] Drawing on her experiences as a television producer in New York, she expanded her activities into dance production and the presentation of the contemporary and experimental works.[33]

Ratnam also developed Narthaki.com, an initiative intended to improve access to information within the Indian dance community. The project began as a printed directory containing the contact information of more than 1000 dancers and dance-related organizations.[10] First published as a printed directory with approximately with a thousand entries related to Indian classical dance, it was expanded in 1997 with an additional 2000 listings. In 2000, the project transitioned to an online platform, providing information on Indian Dance, dancers, institutions, and related activities.[34][35][36] The initiative was created to facilitate the connections between dancers and event organizers and improve access to information about Indian performing artists.[10]

Narthaki.com has been listed by the New York Public Library as a resource for information on Indian dance.[37][38][39] Narthaki expanded its activities to include digital dance productions, curation of dance festivals and related media initiatives.[40]

Ratnam incorporates elements of Indian classical and contemporary performance traditions, and characterized her artistic approach as "Neo Bharatam", while referring to herself as a "contemporary classicist".[41] In addition to choreography and performance, her work has included festival curation, arts production, conference organization, and service on cultural advisory bodies and arts-related organizations[33].

Ratnam has organized festivals and performance platforms featuring both her own work and that of other artists.[33] [33] She has stated that curiosity has been a driving force behind her diverse activities in the arts and cultural sector and has emphasized the importance of training in production, technical aspects, theater and professional skills alongside choreography and performance.[33][33] She has described this multidisciplinary approach as a 360-degree cultural ecosystem.[33]

Neo Bharatam

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Ratnam has stated that the term "Neo Bharatam" emerged in 1999 after she watched the film The Matrix and identified with the character Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves.[10] She has explained that the concept reflected her training across multiple artistic disciplines and her interest in developing an approach that extended beyond conventional boundaries.[10]

Drawing on her training in Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Tai chi, Kalaripayattu, and Yoga, Ratnam developed "Neo Bharatam", a movement that combines elements of these disciplines for contemporary performance and storytelling.[10] Ratnam stated that her work emerged from desire to move beyond traditional dance narratives, particularly representations of women in classical literature.[10] She has described her performances as focusing on stronger female perspectives and themes related to woman's experiences and agency.[42] She has said that she persisted in exploring themes of gender and resistance through her work, citing the Tamil Saint Poet Andal as an example of female defiance.[10]

Choreographies

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  • 1997 - "A Map to the Next World", created in collaboration with Native American poet Joy Harjo.
  • 1998 - "Inner World", created with Pangea World Theatre, Minneapolis.
  • 1999 - "Daughters of the Ocean", created with writer Shobita Punja.
  • 2002 - "Dust", created with Mark Taylor of Dance Alloy, Pittsburgh, USA.[43]
  • 2002 - "Hyphenated", created for dancer Lata Pada, Toronto, Canada.
  • 2005 - "Seven Graces: The many hues of Goddess Tara, created with Canada-based Hari Krishnan
  • 2006 - "Neelam: Drowning in Bliss"[44]
  • 2006 - "Vortext", created with Canadian dance artist Peter Chin[45]
  • 2007 - "FACES: Blessed unrest"
  • 2008 - "Prism", created with the Toronto based choreographer Harikrishnan[46]
  • 2009 - "MA3KA: The Triad Supreme".[47][48][49]
  • 2010 - "A Million Sitas"[50]
  • 2011 - "Andal Andal"[51][52][53]
  • 2013 - "Padme: the lotus", created with Netherland based dancer Kalpana Raghuraman, produced by Korzo Productions, Netherlands[54][55]
  • 2019 - "Naachiyar Next"[56][57][58][59][60]

Awards

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  • 2017 - Vishwa Kala Ratna presented by Milapfest, United Kingdom[61]
  • 2016 - Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for contemporary dance, awarded by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India[62]
  • 2013 - Guru Deba Prasad Award, India
  • 2013 - Vishwa Kala Bharati conferred by the Bharat Kalachar, Chennai, India
  • 2004 - First Prize, Alternative Poetry World Competition, Aberdeen, Scotland[63]
  • 2004 - First Prize, Independent Art House Website festival, Stockholm, Sweden[64]
  • 2004 - Web Awards, Amsterdam, Holland[65]
  • 2003 - Lalithakala Ratna, awarded by the Sri Lalitha Kala Academy Foundation Trust, Mysore, India[66]
  • 2003 - Natya Ratna, awarded by the Sri Shanmukhananda Sangeet Sabha, New Delhi, India[67]
  • 2001 - Bharatha Kala Rathinam presented by Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetadhipathi Jagathguru Sri Sankaracharya Swamingal, Kancheepuram, India[68]
  • 2000 - Woman of the year, awarded by American Biographical Institute, North Carolina, USA[69]
  • 1998 - Kalaimamani, awarded by the Government of Tamil Nadu, India[70]
  • 1997 - Ugadi Puraskar presented by Telugu Academy, Chennai, India[71]
  • 1996 - Nritya Choodamani, awarded by the Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, Chennai, India[72]
  • 1996 - Senior Fellowship from the Department of Culture, Government of India, for research in the Tamil Vaishnavite Temple tradition of Araiyar Sevai[73]
  • 1995 - Bharat Kala Ratna, Chennai, India[74]
  • 1991 - Media Achievement Award, presented by the National Organization of Women, New York, USA[75]
  • 1988 - Outstanding TV Ambassador, presented by the Federation of Indian Associations, Cleveland, USA[76]
  • 1986 - Mahatma Gandhi Award for Cultural understanding, New York, USA[77]
  • 1975 - Singarmani, Mumbai, India[78]
  • 1974 - Arut Kalai Selvi, awarded by the Government of Tamil Nadu, India[79]
  • 1971 - Sur Singar Sansad, Mumbai, India[80]
  • 1970 - Nrityakala Shiromani, awarded by UNESCO for Outstanding Youth Artiste[81]

References

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